Stronger Now
by Sara Jaye
Summary: Daddy should have been home an hour ago, and Bianca can't shake the feeling something is terribly wrong. For HC Bingo.


For HC Bingo, prompt is "Caught in a robbery".

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><p>Daddy should have bene home by now. He was just going to the market to pick up some things, but even a trip to Driftveil shouldn't take more than an hour.<p>

"I'm sure they're just busy," her mother said. "It's a small store, and they probably get a lot of customers."

"I _know_," Bianca sighed. "But it's still too long! Especially since he flew there on his Braviary! Mom, what could be keeping him?"

"Dear, please don't worry so much," her mother chided. "It won't bring him home any faster." Mom was worried, Bianca could tell, and she knew her own fretting wasn't making things any easier. But every minute that passed and her father still didn't return, the less convinced she was that the market was simply busier than usual. What if he was hurt? What if Braviary had gotten lost?

"I-I'm going for a walk," she said. "I'll try to be back soon, okay?"

"Be careful, dear," her mother called after her. "If you get lost or if you're going to be late, please call!" Mom could be just as protective as Daddy sometimes.

"I will!" Bianca headed out the front door and called forth her Swanna; the newest addition to her team and a gift from Hilda. "To Driftveil, Swanny!" she commanded, and they were off.

_Maybe I'm worrying over nothing. Maybe the market **is** just busy...maybe he's helping someone get their stuff home. He can be nice like that sometimes._

She focused on the skies ahead as she tried to quell the anxiety rising within her.

-x-

Driftveil had always struck a good balance between busy and peaceful. It wasn't anywhere near as crowded as Castelia or excited as Nimbasa, but it wasn't as quiet as Accumula or Nacrene. It was a nice cty, Bianca had always felt. But something seemed off about it today; there were barely any people outside despite the nice weather, for one thing.

Swanny landed and Bianca recalled her, rushing towards the market.

"Miss!" someone called. "Miss, don't go anywhere near there!" A man rushed towards her in a panic. "W-we're under attack...it's a gang, they've taken over the city," he gasped. "Everyone's hiding, except one man-"

She didn't let him finish, just kept racing towards the market and shoving her way inside. Roughnecks had all but emptied out the market, even the salespeople were gone. And worst of all, right in the middle of the snarling crowd was Daddy. _I knew it! I knew something bad had happened, oh why did I have to be right?_

What could she do? She was just a young girl, she had her Pokemon with her but even her well-raised team couldn't battle five roughnecks at once. But they had her father cornered, all _he_ had was his Braviary.

"We're not gonna tell ya again, old man," the leader growled, "give us all you got in yer pockets, _or else!_"

"Yeah, we're gettin' sick of yer flailin' and wafflin'," another man added. "Are we gonna do things the easy way or the hard way?"

"Wouldn't wanna rough up an old dude like you," a third man taunted, and suddenly Bianca felt angry. Not only did they have the gall to threaten his life, but now they were making fun of him? Reaching for Musharna's pokeball, she rushed over and stomped her foot loudly enough for the men to hear.

"You leave my Daddy alone! Why don't you pick on someone a little stronger?" The leader turned his attention to her almost immediately, a menacing grin crossing his face.

"Look, fellas, a little girl thinks she can take us!" he mocked. "Aww, and she looks like she means _business!_"

"Don't ya just love it when kids act bigger than they are?" his comrade chortled. "I bet her team's weaker than one of 'em stinkin' Patrats those Team Plasma losers used to cart around!" Bianca's glare darkened; even though part of her was a tiny bit scared, right now these men were just being obnoxious! _How dare they call my Daddy an old man...or compare **my** dear Pokemon to the likes of Team Plasma's!_

"I mean it!" she yelled. "I'll fight all of you if I have to!"

"Tell ya what, pipsqueak," the leader scoffed, "how's about we kick you _and_ your dad's butts all the way to Lacunosa Town? Ready, boys?"

"Ready!" chorused the gang. Bianca narrowed her eyes and sent Musharna out.

"Bring it on."

The battle was a rough one, Trubbish and Krokrok and Pawniard coming at her every which way. But Bianca's Pokemon were just as angry and determined as she was and when it was over she was surrounded by humiliated roughnecks and bikers. The leader looked like he was about to pop a vein in his forehead.

"You little _brat!_" he growled. Bianca's father, who had been watching from the sidelines, stormed up to the man and slapped him upside the head.

"Don't you talk to my daughter that way, you creep!" The roughneck growled, turning his rage from Bianca to her father.

"Stay out of this, old man!" Bianca growled, giving him a good hard kick in the shin.

"Didn't I just get done telling you to leave my Daddy alone?" she screamed. "Get out! All of you!"

"We mean it," her father said, giving them all a menacing glare. Sirens blared in the distance, and the gang's expressions grew horrified. "By the way, I called the police while my daughter was busy putting you all in your place." Sure enough, the police came in and began to lead the gang away. Bianca scowled after them as her Pokemon returned to their pokeballs.

"And don't come back!" she yelled. "Hmph, the nerve of some people!"

"Bianca..." her father said wearily, and suddenly all the anger and determination drained from her as she remembered how helpless he'd looked, surrounded by those creeps. With a choked sob, she threw herself against his shoulder, tears streaming down her cheeks. His arms wrapped tightly around her and for once she wished he would never let go of her.

"Oh, _Daddy...!_" She gulped between sobs. "I-I was so scared..."

"I know, but it's all over now," he whispered. "I won't let anything else happen to you."

"No! I was scared for _you!_" she cried. "You were gone so long, a-and when I saw you and all those men and they were so _angry_, I thought they were gonna _hurt you...!_" She clung to his jacket. "Daddy, if anything ever happened to you, I...I..."

"Oh, sweetheart..." He drew her closer still, rubbing her back. "I didn't mean to give you such a scare. I didn't see this coming, I thought as long as I had Braviary I'd be just fine."

"You should've let me or Mom come with you!" Bianca sobbed. "I was so worried, and Mom was too even if she was hiding it really well...if I hadn't decided to come here, who knows what could have happened?"

"I know," he said. "I should have turned and left as soon as I realized something wasn't right. But it's okay now, everything turned out just fine. Please, try to calm down." Bianca only sniffled, unable to form any words at the moment. When she calmed down, she pulled back a little and gave her father a sheepish look.

"I guess I probably gave you a scare too, fighting all those jerks," she mumbled. "Are you mad at me?"

"Mad?" Her father smiled. "Bianca, I'd never seen you act so bravely before. You and your Pokemon were amazing...I feel sillier than ever for thinking you could never make it out there on a Pokemon journey. Honey, you saved my _life!_"

"I..." She smiled a little. "I guess I did."

"I've never been prouder of you than I am now," he said, gently wiping away the last of her tears and squeezing her shoulder. "You've come a long way from the clumsy, nervous little girl you used to be."

Bianca smiled, throwing her arms around him again. To hear him say that after years of overprotection meant the world to her. _I'm proud of you._ Discovering her true calling as a Pokemon research assistant had been the happiest day of her life, making all the hardships she'd faced along the way worth it. Hearing her father say he was proud of her was like reliving that day all over again.

"Daddy..."

"Come on." He helped her up. "Let's go home. Your mother will never let us hear the end of it if we're gone for too much longer." They called forth Braviary and Swanna, then flew back to Numeva Town in peaceful silence._ I'm proud of you._ His words repeated in her head all the way home, like a peaceful chime, and she couldn't have possibly felt warmer.


End file.
